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Archetypes
Archetypes are the backbone of ORPHEUS characters. They determine the supernatural powers, occult magicks and other special abilities that characters possess. As of June 2019, all available character archetypes in the Orpheus Protocol rules have been unlocked via Kickstarter. [[Cyborg|'Cyborg']] The technological sophistication of prosthetics has surged over the last few decades, augmented reality implants have become real, and the public has access to and knowledge of only a tiny fraction of the true technological advancement being pioneered in secret laboratories around the world under the auspices of various governments, criminal organizations, and, most of all, ORPHEUS. Notable Cyborgs: Mitch Hook [[Hermeticist|'Hermeticist']] Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic fusion of Hermes and Thoth, is credited with scribing the Emerald Tablet with the foundational disciplines of Theurgy, Astrology, and Alchemy. This god who wandered the ancient Earth in human guise in search of knowledge is thought to have been the first to master the secrets of the prima materia and complete the magnum opus, giving form to the first philosopher’s stone and achieving earthly immortality. The mystical sciences founded by Hermes Trismegistus have been taught, learned, and advanced through the centuries, and Hermeticists, though still very rare within the ranks of ORPHEUS, represent the most-recruited magickal resource in the organization. Notable Hermeticists: Freya Benton [[Hero|'Hero']] Heroes are older than the stories we tell about them, and the telling of those stories is what laid the foundations of every society, modern and ancient. Extraordinary individuals who, whether by the blessing of the gods or some other twist of fate, are destined to achieve extraordinary things but are forever tempted by the darker side of their larger-than-life nature. It is very rare that a true Hero is born, but ORPHEUS is intensely interested in them. Not, as one might expect, merely to direct their power to its own ends; even more pressing is the need to study the hero’s life and deeds thus far, in order to predict what great destiny they are moving toward, and make sure the world is safe from it. Notable Heroes: Walter Marchand Medium Spirit channelers and those whose perception pierces the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead take many forms in many cultures, but humanity has always regarded its dead with both fear and reverence. The Medium is one who has, by supernatural means, developed a relationship with the dead, whether one of subjugation or one of mutual respect. Drawing on knowledge and techniques from the great beyond, the Medium shrouds their enemies in the shadow of death. Occultist There exist powers that transcend and confound what we understand as reality. Not good, not evil, but indifferent to the insignificant scale of existence where humanity is found, these leviathans swim through waters beyond time and space, and warp reality in their wake. Occultists are those brilliant, daring, and mad enough to manipulate these eldritch currents, risking corruption of body and soul in the process. Notable Occultists: Pierce Keswick, Koji Miyazaki, Bok Hui Barbara Shin-Rearson. Pathokinetic In any given population, there exist a small population of talented empaths, people who, whether by the keenness of sense, hyperfocus learned by necessity or a personality that leads others to open up, can read other human beings with shocking frequency and accuracy. But ORPHEUS knows this to be a transitional stage on the way to true Pathokinesis. It is unknown whether the ability to strongly influence others’ emotions is a poorly understood eldritch ability, or simply a new phase of human evolution, but one thing is certain: ORPHEUS has use for such gifts. Pathokinetics, rare as they are, are highly sought after for the most sensitive political and espionage operations ORPHEUS puts together, and are among the most influential extranormal people in terms of the organization’s continued success. Notable Pathokinetics: The Whistling Man Psychic The abilities of the human mind have continually surpassed the best guesses of scientists throughout the ages. For every thousand or so phony fortune-tellers and psychics out there, there’s someone with real abilities, inexplicable and indispensable to entities like ORPHEUS. Information superiority is key in all advanced warfare and corporate espionage, and ORPHEUS is in the business of both. Notable Psychics: Kiera Jackson Telekinetic Stories of people capable of moving objects with their minds have circled the globe for ages. Originally thought the product of witchcraft or demons, the ability continued unabated through the Enlightenment, outliving the dated characterizations and demanding a different explanation. Secret weapons projects in the USSR during the Cold War came closest to creating stable Telekinetics, but the most powerful and precise of the gifted still arise naturally, at random, and for reasons still not understood. True Faith Faith, as a concept and a source of social power, is as old as the ability of the human brain’s reach to exceed its grasp. Human eyes detect more shades of green than any other color because it was advantageous in detecting predators in the underbrush, and the pareidolic impulse has been heavily favored by natural selection to the point that we can now tell stories to one another about the shapes we see in the clouds. We conceive of far more, and far grander, things than we can explain. And yet, the power of Faith is undeniable. It appears not to matter what deity or concept the human will and faculties suborn themselves to; the purity of the conviction is where the real power comes from. It is rather like a spiritual analogue to the mother lifting a car to rescue her child, and ORPHEUS is not foolish enough to overlook the power and utility of the truly faithful. Vampire Thrall Alukah. Asanbosam. Mandurugo. Lamia. Strigoi. Vampyr. Regardless of name, in nearly every culture’s collective nightmares, one horrifying principle persists: The hungry dead rise to feed on the living. The Vampire reproduces by infecting of living humans through mutual hematophagy and a slow erosion of the victim’s humanity. As the victim becomes more and more monstrous, the unholy eldritch abilities of their progenitor begin to manifest. And as long as this transition into undeath is ongoing, these damned souls are highly-sought as powerful assets to ORPHEUS. Weapon Bearer There exist in the world legendary weapons. Excalibur, Caliburn, The Spear of Longinus, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi; the list goes on and on. Weapons that take part in fateful battle over the decades and centuries take on an accretion of spirit and will, seeking the hands of their destined masters and guiding them toward greater and greater heights of glory. A Weapon Bearer’s bonded weapon need not be a melee weapon. The only requirement is that the given weapon have a storied enough history to be ruled by the GM as satisfactory. Notable Bearers: Mitch Hook, Walter Marchand. Draugr In sites that have seen murder, cannibalism, or other violent depravities, there roam spirits of bloodletting and gluttony. Known as Wendigo in many Native American cultures, it is unclear whether they are attracted to these atrocities, or if they motivate them directly. Humans bonded to these spirits carry the starving cold of winter with them as they stalk the shadows, lusting for the sustenance and warmth of living blood. Werewolf In nearly every human culture throughout history, there is a legend concerning werewolves. They may take other names and appear under other guises, but the core principle remains: People who become something else, and perpetrate horrific violence. The enlightenment slowly but surely convinced the world that the legends were merely the fantasies of ignorant cultures grasping for an explanation for the depths of violence and depravity of which human beings are capable. ORPHEUS knows that explanation to be correct in most cases, but not all. The wolves are real, and they’ve hunted us since the beginning. But like all canids, they respond to training, and have their own social order. And ORPHEUS is nothing if not adept at manipulating such dynamics to its advantage. Witch Throughout human history, the outcasts of society have been demonized as witches. These narratives have proven useful for those who wish to crush the marginalized and consolidate power, but ORPHEUS knows the truth of witchcraft is far from a simple fairy tale about pure good and pure evil. Witches have existed for as long as humanity has had an interest in the unknown. Scientists seek to understand the unknown. Politicians seek to vilify it. Witches embrace it peacefully, in all its dark mystery and wonder. Wielding blessings and curses with equal facility, witches challenge the very notion good and evil, and will always be targeted by those who wish to impose their views on the world because of it. Notable Witches: Kiera Jackson Nephilim An unnatural fusion of otherworldly power and physical substance, the Nephilim is a hybrid child of antithetical realities; with unmatched resilience and access to energies that are pure anathema to this plane. Some Nephilim are 8 foot, chitinous monsters, while others appear as normal people until they transform. Their powers are great, but they must take care not to overindulge, lest the otherworldly half of their nature take root fully in their minds and turn them to the corruption of this new and vulnerable world in which they find themselves... Notable Nephilim: Jack Kincaid Emanant By tapping into the same wellspring of mental power that fuels the abilities of psychics and telekinetics, but externalizing the energy in a stable form, an Emanant is able to manifest Tulpa or other thoughtform entities bound to their creator's will. The ORPHEUS Protocol's first true "pet class," Emanants create different specialized manifestations to aid them in battle as well as in non-combat tasks. The Emanant must be wary, however, for the outpouring of their mental and spiritual energy can become difficult to shut off, and the manifestations can become wild and chaotic if the Emanant's will is not perfectly honed. Notable Emanants: Neveah Stephens Soldier As intimidating and impressive as the supernaturally or high-technology-powered ORPHEUS agents are, the vast majority of the real work gets done by professional soldiers, trained in combat, espionage, logistics, and every nuance of the modern, secret war perpetually fought in the shadowed spaces of the world.Category:Archetypes